Okumura Syndicate

Chapter 7: Colder than expected

"Fine if no one's gonna give me advice, I'll fight him blind." Rou stated in a tucked off tone. "I'll prove whether we can trust you or not with a victory.". Rou created enough icicles to pick them up with his hand as to intimidate his unfamiliar opponent. "Aster, I want to see you give everything, no matter how strong my attacks are and how hard I hit you!"

"It was your fault, you exposed your own abilities far too soon. Surprise tactics where I'm from were key to victory." A disgruntled Aster looks around the area, picking up both a short sword and a shield. "Tch, trust through combat strength. You sound like the higher ups in my old world. All the more reason to try my hardest." Aster raises his sword to Rou at shouts at the top of his voice, "I won't make the same mistakes this time!".

"You'd be surprised to know that surprises aren't the only aspects of a fight, you need experience to to even think about little tricks like that.", replied Rou, he puts his left hand on to the wooden battle floor and freezes the ground to make him slip. Around the frozen floor, giant stalagmites of ice formed around Aster. "Try getting out of that."

"Surprise? Don't make me laugh, and experience I've got plenty of that. I'll have you know I put up quite the fight on my home planet. I know what I'm doing. he looks down as the temperature decrease starts to take affect so, you weren't bluffing. Ice manipulation it seems like. Steel Forme!" The sword Aster had been using all but the hilt had completely turned to steel. "If you think a little ice can slow me down..." He smashes his sword into the centre of said ice breaking a majority. "You're poorly mistaken!"

"Why be so intense? It's not like it's a fight to the death." Rou froze the ground beneath him, raising himself up to make a hasty escape from the steel sword. So Aster doesn't keep up with him, he creates ice platforms and jumps between them until he reaches the opposite end of the ring to Aster.

Behind a glass window Catoria leans close to it and squints, trying to make out their figures from the ice. "Oh wow... this is interesting." Not long in and they've already shown some fascinating tactics. I must say Edward, you've recruited some people worth raising an eyebrow over."

"It gives recollection! It gives meaning! To you this fight means nothing. But to me, this means everything!" dashes forward out of will and not thinking straight, Aster grabs a piece of ice and eats it, not caring for how it could damage himself given the size of it. "Ice Forme!" Aster's shield had been turned to ice. "Is this the extent?! Just ranged combat?!"

Edward lifted his wine glass to his lips again- realising now that it had become empty. "Hm. Indeed I have," he looked on as his henchman fought the irritating intruder.

Surprisingly, he found himself impressed by Aster's skills. He looked on in amazement.

"Say, Catoria, what are your opinions on the intruder?"

"I'm glad you find meaning in such fights! I see this moment as a way to get to know you, hopefully you feel the same. Now for this shield!" Rou forms a blade using a giant icicle and begins to charge at Aster aiming to break both it and his shield.

"It is far beyond what you could understand! There's a reason behind what I'm saying. But you don't know it. Nobody here knows it. Only myself and myself alone! What about the shield?!" Aster notices Rou charging for him with a blade. Being surprised by his speed, Aster struggles to think level headedly. "S-Steele Forme!" By accidental process, due to lack of concentration, his sword remained steel which the shield was meant to change now unable to prepare for Rou's strike.

By pure luck, Aster's mistake had left his body vulnerable. Rou aimed his icicle blade at a new spot, Aster's arm, and with a single slash, it was scratched. "Edward, we're okay to leave a mark aren't we? I want to see how he responds."

"Yes, do what you will," he responded to Rou before lowering his voice, turning to Catoria. "Surely the intruder will be fine fighting off Rou. I will step in if things go downhill,if it truly worries you. Now
What are you willing to discuss later?" He raised a brow.

"Despite suggesting the idea, is it really okay to continue with what's happening? The "intruder" as you say seems to be... let's say,, struggling a bit... Isn't it a bit too harsh on someone who has turned up recently? What will people think?

But nonetheless, I must award him for such courage- not only towards you but also on the battlefield. We should discuss something in private later."

Aster has recollected thoughts to himself. "Damn. Just like last time even the slightest slip up is my biggest downfall, guess this world really is no different to my own This looks bad but. As I said before I'm not as pathetic as you think I am. I'm not as pathetic as any of you think I am...Formation adjustment." Aster's weapons had begun to change and his short sword had fallen out of his hand due to its new size; he proceeded to ditch the shield as the sword turned into a black two handed claymore.

"A weapon manipulation ability, clever, but can you dodge this?" Rou used both hands to surround the two of them in an icy prison. "I'm sorry if this blocks the view, but I have him right where I want him." Rou raised Aster on the same ice platform he used on himself, waiting to see how he'd react to this.

Suddenly there was a slamming of the door, neither combatant could hear it, but everyone else could. Annoyed, Viper walks fast with an almost murderous intent dragging Shiva. "Edward, I've found this brat skulking around. Can I have the honour of murdering him? He ruined my drink!" Just as she says this she throws Shiva on the ground and notices what's happening. "WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN MY ROOM?! I'VE GOT PRECIOUS EXPERIMENTS GOING ON!".

Things were going to take a turn for the worse outside the battle floor...